Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Learning About Prayer

Today at Intercessory Prayer, which Joey called “Whatey What What” I learned a lesson. We were fighting against sickness. We were working hard to make things happen in the super natural. It felt like tough ground to break. Then one of the women said that she thought we were praying from the wrong stance. She was saying that we should be praying from a victorious stance instead of trying to make something happen. After she said this and I took in a deep breath I felt something lift off. I had a picture (I probably should have shared it, but it was my first time to go so I didn’t feel very comfortable.) Anyway, I saw a picture of me as a Mom in my own home. I saw my kids coming into the kitchen “warring” for something to eat. They were hungry and they wanted their bellies to be full so they came into my kitchen loudly, and yelling, and trying to convince me to feed them. They said things like, “We will be fed.” And “We want all hunger to go away right now.” I was standing there in my kitchen thinking, “Why in the world are they coming to me like that? I’ve already been grocery shopping. There’s plenty to eat. I love my kids and their acting like I’m not going to feed them. Why don’t they just come to me, tell me that they’re hungry and then I will feed them?”

Whoa!

This picture will change the way I pray. My Father in heaven loves me. I don’t have to convince him to do anything. I can go to his throne room like my kids can come to our kitchen. God already has everything I need. All I need to do is go to him, tell him what I need and he will feed me. It really is all about relationship. Awhile back Randy and I were having trouble selling his houses. It was a long winter for us. We hadn’t been without a surplus in our bank account in a long time so it took us off guard. We weren’t sure how to process the fact that we were running out of money in the business when we are faithful in our tithes and offerings. When I prayed about our money situation I should have been wearing a gray business suit with my hair in a tight bun because I was presenting my case like a lawyer. I showed God the scripture in Malachi where it says, “ 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty. I told God that he was basically robbing us because we always brought our tithes and offerings to the storehouse and other places. I told him that it was his part of the bargain to throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessings that I would not be able to contain it. Also, he was supposed to be preventing pests from devouring our crops and he was not doing that either. Devouring pests in our case was increasing debt, and that was wracking up not so nicely. Anyway, I was being a pest in the way I was talking to the Lord. I was so matter of fact with him. I was pleading my case as if I was a lawyer. Then I heard a teaching from Bill Johnson where he was talking about not being offended at God. He talked about how we can’t approach God about situations like we’re in a contract with God. The Old Testament was a contract relationship and no one could measure up. Man, when I heard that my heart felt so convicted and sad about how I was treating God. I immediately asked for forgiveness for being such a brat! That’s the way I felt. Anyway, I’m learning about prayer. It’s a hard thing to balance going boldly before the throne of God, being a woman of war, being respectful, asking for things in prayer without acting like I’m lowly or that I’m deserving. It all comes down to relationship! When I just love the Lord with all my heart, soul and mind and love my neighbor as myself then I know my requests will be taken to the Lord in a way that is pleasing to God and it will be effective.

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.